Ring of Truth
by GinStan
Summary: A discussion I wish Olivia and Natalia had regarding Frank's proposal. Otalia fic


**Ring of Truth**

By Gin

"Okay. So we're on the same page that Emma is not to see Phillip… ever." Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as Natalia nodded. "Good." Closing her eyes for a second to organize her thoughts, Olivia ran her tongue over her teeth and forged ahead with their earlier conversation. "Now we just need to talk about… Frank."

Natalia shook her head. "No…" She began to move away when Olivia's brief touch on her arm stopped her.

"We have to talk about this." Olivia knew it was time to discuss it. One _way or the other._ "Natalia, please listen to me." Dark eyes turned to her and Olivia clenched her teeth for a second, to prevent her lower jaw from trembling. "I don't think you ever actually asked for my opinion regarding Frank's proposal. I told you, that if you thought he had everything you needed to make you happy then you should marry him." Shaking her head, Olivia thought she was going to cry. "I wasn't lying when I said I only want you to be happy."

Natalia whispered. "I know that." She could see the pain this was causing her friend and reached out to take trembling hands in hers. "We don't have to talk about this now."

"Yes!" Olivia's eyes closed. "Yes we do." Her eyes locked on the hands holding hers. "If we don't talk about it now something else will happen to stop me and I need to tell you."

With an encouraging smile, the kind that made her dimples appear, Natalia squeezed the hands in hers. "Tell me what?"

"It's your decision." Olivia wanted that to be perfectly clear. She steered Natalia to the couch and they sat. "But I want you to have all the information you can to make the right one, for you."

"Okay." Natalia grabbed a pillow, pushing it against her body. It was a small comfort in the face of the uncomfortable words Olivia was probably going to say. Her fingers twined together, and she absently played with her ring as Olivia began to speak.

"It's your decision."

Natalia nodded. "Yeah, you said that."

Olivia ran her fingers through her hair and growled, jumping up from the couch, pacing the living room. "The thing is, whatever you decide will affect my life, and Emma's." She stopped by the fireplace and bowed her head. "We really love…it here. Emma really loves it here…and I don't want her to have to move, again."

"Move?" Natalia looked confused.

"Of course." Olivia let out a frustrated burst of laughter. "We can't stay here. You and… Frank will want to have time together before the wedding… and after." Her voice broke, the rest coming out in a whisper. "He'll be your family."

Natalia rubbed her hand over her forehead. It was something she did sometimes to try and hold her thoughts in, and sometimes to wipe them out. She wasn't sure which she was doing now. Curling her hand, she pressed the backs of her fingers against her mouth for a moment. "No." She frowned and looked up at Olivia. "No! You and Emma… will always be family to me." She stood and wrapped her arms around Olivia. "Always."

Closing her eyes, Olivia returned the embrace. She swallowed hard and let the tears she'd been holding back escape. _It always feels so good to hold Natalia like this,_ Olivia thought. _God, I could do this forever._

"Olivia." Natalia rubbed the back under her hands. "Olivia, listen to me." She pulled back slightly to look into the upset woman's eyes. "I'm **not **going to marry Frank." She felt the stillness next to her.

"No?"

Natalia shook her head. "No." She brushed some hair out of Olivia's eyes and smiled a little sadly. "I'm not in love with him."

"Oh."

"I think, before I can be totally in love with…someone. In love enough to put on their ring…I have to be able to take this one off." She wiggled her left hand.

Olivia looked down to see the ring Gus had given Natalia, never even realizing the woman still wore it; it was so much a part of her. "Oh."

"If I had been able to take this ring off, and put on the one Frank presented me with, then he would have been the right person for me." Natalia leaned in to lay her head on Olivia's shoulder. "But I couldn't, I didn't… I didn't even consider it."

"Maybe you should start by taking Gus' ring off." Olivia swallowed hard. "Try being yourself for a while, before you put… someone else's ring on."

"Maybe." Natalia's voice was soft as she slowly pulled away from Olivia's warm embrace. "I'll have to think about it." Searching Olivia's face, Natalia rubbed her forehead and covered her mouth with her fingers for a moment. "Thank you for being honest with me." She spent another few heartbeats lost in Olivia's eyes before giving the woman a tiny smile. "Good night."

Not trusting herself to speak, Olivia nodded and watched Natalia make her way upstairs. She sank to the couch with a shaky breath and sighed. _Honest…right. _Closing her eyes, Olivia let her head rest on the back of the couch. Her thoughts drifted to the feel of Natalia in her arms, Natalia's soft hair brushing her cheek, Natalia's hands caressing her back.

She didn't know how long she'd spent lost in dreams of Natalia, but it was late when she realized she was still on the couch and made her way upstairs. She'd gone through her nightly ritual and was reaching to turn down the covers when her hand stopped. Blinking, she tried to make sense of what she was seeing, not believing it. _No… it can't be…_ Trembling fingers picked up the small shiny object laying on her pillow. _Gus' ring._

Reverently, she placed the ring in her jewelry box, right next to a very special one she'd purchased not too long ago. Olivia smiled wistfully at the ring she'd bought. _Not yet_, she thought. But she knew that one day she would be **totally** honest with Natalia, and this ring would be part of that truth. Olivia climbed into bed, ready to dream of that day; the day when Natalia would wear not Gus' ring, and not Franks, but hers for the rest of their lives.

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End file.
